Monday 21 Apr 2008
NORTH EAST RAIL SERVICES DEFY THE CABLE THIEVES
- Region & Route:
Figures released today by Network Rail show that the delay to travellers caused by thieves stealing the cable used in signalling systems has fallen slightly in Yorkshire and the North East.
Delay on the London North-Eastern Route, which covers the east coast from London to Scotland, fell from 205,000 minutes in 2006/07 to 151,000 in 07/08.
Dyan Crowther, Route Director for Network Rail, said: "This is fantastic news and reflects the massive effort which is being put in by Network Rail and the industry to stop thieves ruining rail services.
"The theft of metal - including lead from roofs and electrical supply cable - is a global issue being faced by a large number of industries. The fact that the investments we are making in both our people and technical devices is reducing the disturbance to passengers and the number of incidents of cable theft shows that it is money well spent.
"I would like to thank passengers and the train operators for their patience and support as we continue to do all we can to fight this crime. It remains a serious problem for us and still causes significant delay to train services - especially in Yorkshire and the North East. If anyone sees anything suspicious around a railway line please contact the British Transport Police (BTP) on 0800 40 50 40."
Tricia Riley, Area Director North for Northern Rail, said: "Cable theft has been one of the single biggest causes of delay to our services and disruption to our customers over the past year so it is encouraging that the actions taken by Network Rail, BTP and the industry have helped to reduce its impact. We will continue to work with all our industry partners to combat the actions of cable thieves."
Detective Chief Inspector Danny Snee from BTP added: “For British Transport Police, combating cable theft across Britain’s rail system remains second only to terrorism. We are using every method at our disposal to tackle this type of crime.
“Our message is clear: those involved in metal theft will be caught and brought to justice. Communities can help," added DCI Snee. "We need information on who is committing these crimes or dealing in stolen metal."
Notes to editors
Delay minutes are the way the rail industry measures the impact of any delay on rail services. This has fallen from 205,000 minutes over 516 incidents in 2006/07 to 151, 000 minutes in 465 incidents in 2007/08. Despite this the cost to Network Rail remains constant - around £10million per year. This is because the expenditure in 2007/08 includes significant mitigation measures, including appointing in-house security patrols and technological prevention and detection measures such as CCTV, motion detectors etc. BTP have had many successes in addressing cable theft. Examples include: • 396 arrests in 2007 for metal theft • Three men were sentenced on 16 February 2007 at Leeds Crown Court to a total of over four years imprisonment after being charged with conspiracy to handle stolen goods. The court heard how the offenders had stolen over two and a half miles of cable from the railway infrastructure. That is estimated to have cost the industry approximately £150, 000.Contact information
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